Living the Life in Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon was an amazing first stop on our two-month journey of Europe – the first of fourteen new countries! Portugal was a pretty and fun little country. The buildings were brightly colored, the streets were made of cobblestone, and the walls were ordained with gorgeous murals (and a bit of cool graffiti.) Beautiful tiles with intricate blue patterns were everywhere with colorful flowers to compliment them. Ornate designs and colors seemed to be a theme that continued throughout Portugal. Even the simplest things, such as the city square and benches were extremely colorful and carefully carved to perfection.
After a rainy and slightly treacherous walk to the hotel (my mom even slipped and fell on the slick cobblestone street), we took trolley 28 around the city. Even though there was a long line to wait in before getting aboard, it was worth it. The ride was quite nice and was a good way to get introduced to Lisbon. Along the way, we were able to get an glimpse of the city’s scenery and stop at all the iconic sights. Everyone knew this trolley well, so they waved as it rolled past them on the street, which just made the journey that more joyful.
Speaking of iconic stops, Belem Tower was a unique structure with some pretty amazing views. The tower previously served as fortification in the 16th century. There is a long winding staircase that goes up the entire tower and has openings to different rooms throughout. In some, there was a video playing that told a little bit about the history, others were just to roam around and explore. The system in which the tower was set up was actually quite interesting. Each entrance to the long staircase had a “traffic light” for tourists. When it was at occupancy, the light would turn red and everyone had to wait until it turned green again because the staircase was so narrow. The wait is worth it though, because at the top, the Torre de Belem gives visitors a vast view of the Tagus River.
Jeronimos Monastery was another gorgeous piece of Portugal’s history that I had the pleasure of visiting. It served a symbol of the power and wealth of Portugal brought about by the age of exploration. There were complex and intricate designs outside and within the walls. Even the ceiling had perfectly carved patterns. Even though there were many pretty carvings and columns, the most impressive thing about the monastery, in my opinion, was the brightly colored and wonderfully elaborate tiles that lines the walls of certain rooms. The designs ranged from simple patterns to pictures of vases full of flowers. This monastery was also surprisingly big. It was almost as if it was a maze – we literally got lost few times while exploring it!
Typically, I am not a huge museum person, but there was one that stood out to me. We visited a museum of old royal transportation used throughout history. They ranged from small velvet seats enclosed in glass that two men had to carry to giant gold horse-drawn carriages. However, no matter how big or small, each cart or seat had beautiful ornate designs. There was also a tiny sardine museum that we happened to run across, which was slightly amusing and actually informative.
During our adventures around the city, we decided to take a detour on a tram that took us to the top of the city. There were several cool graffiti paintings on the stone walls beside the track. Behind this trip, there is a funny story. So, my parents and I have observed throughout our many trips that most of the tour groups consist of older couples. Well, one of these groups got on the tram with us, but there were so many people that we were crushed. It also took their guide a very long time to get them on. This being the case, we tried to race them back down after looking a the viewpoint and kept intently watching them to make sure we got down and didn’t get caught on the same car with them. Sadly, we didn’t win the race, but it was worth it because the view was amazing and we got to meet some nice people along the way.
Sintra was one of the last adventures of our Portugal journey. This was a day trip to an absolutely stunning castle. I can honestly say that I had never seen any castle more breathtaking than this one. The colors were so brilliant and vibrant! Palacio Nacional da Pena was not only pretty itself, but was also surrounded by pleasant scenery. The forest around it made me think of an enchanted forest or a real fairy garden. It was perfectly foggy from the previous rain and all the greenery was placed just right. The air was even crisp and clear. Nobody could resist walking though it, so that’s exactly what we did. We hiked up to one of the highest points – High Cross. There were some nice stops along the way, such as a picturesque bridge and a pretty little fountain.
To conclude, Portugal was splendid. I definitely would go back to spend more time here someday. It reminded me much of Rome with its ancient-looking stone landmarks and cobblestone roads. The many colors also attracted me. The flowers, stained-glass windows, graffiti, and blue tiles were lovely. Portugal was a pretty awesome first glimpse at the journey ahead.
